Health Library

Trans Fat Facts and Fiction

Not all fats are alike, and trans fats
get even less respect than their natural counterparts. Although most
trans fats are consumed from processed foods, some are found naturally in meat and
dairy products.

1. Most of the trans fats (also called trans fatty acids) consumed come from a process called hydrogenation, which:

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Hydrogenation changes liquid oil to solid in creating stick margarines and spreads. That's why stick margarines have lots of trans fats. Rule of thumb: Softer is better. The American Heart Association recommends that consumers use canola oil or olive oil when possible; look for processed foods that contain no hydrogenated oils; use margarine instead of butter, but choose a margarine that lists liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient and that contains no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Trans fats turn up in foods made with hydrogenated margarine and vegetable shortening, such as pastry and fried foods. Meat and dairy products have small amounts, too.

A. Vegetable oil and pastriesB. Doughnuts and french friesC. MargarineD. All of the above

3. Your best daily dose of trans fat is:

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Reports from the National Academy of Sciences have found that trans fats offer no benefits. The best daily intake is no intake, and people should eat as little as possible. Nutrition labels are also required by the FDA to disclose any trans fat content.

A. 20 gramsB. 10 milligramsC. None

4. Trans fat can contribute to heart disease because:

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Although saturated fats take heat for causing heart attacks, trans fats are worse, because they also lower the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). The AND recommends using trans-fat-free margarines, as well as diet margarines that contain fewer trans fats.

A. It causes obesityB. It raises the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol in the bloodC. It makes heart muscles harder

5. The Food and Drug Administration requires that:

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Since 2006, food labels have had to list the amount of trans fat per serving, as well as the amount of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. On a cautionary note, a food label can read "0 grams" of trans fat if each serving contains less than 0.5 grams of it. This means that foods can have partially hydrogenated fats listed in the ingredients, but the small amount per serving allows the label to state zero.